The view displayed on a monitor at a videoconferencing endpoint (EP) typically displays video images of one or more conferees and can also display one or more accessory elements. Accessory elements include text information elements, graphics elements, frames around conferees' images, line-art, etc. Some accessory elements can be created at a multipoint control unit (MCU) that controls the videoconferencing session. Such elements typically include icons such as an icon of a speaker, a display of a menu for controlling the conference, a name of a displayed conferee, frames around each of the displayed conferees, etc. In some cases the conferencing view can include video effects such as appearing and disappearing effects of images of presented conferees.
Current videoconferencing systems offer a limited variety of views. Some advanced systems offer limited flexibility to switch between views. For example, a user might be able to select a certain view from among a list of views and/or select a background from among a selection of background slides that can be used to fill areas between segments in which conferee's video images are displayed, etc. However, presently available videoconferencing systems do not allow a user to design their own customized view for a videoconferencing session. It would be advantageous for a user to have the ability to design a customized view that fits the particular needs for a particular videoconferencing session. Ideally, the user could specify the location of accessory elements, the number, size, and locations of video images, etc., as desired for a particular videoconferencing session.